Goldwin Monteverde eyed as UP juniors basketball coach too

UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde. –Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — University of the Philippines men’s basketball program director has recommended coach Goldwin Monteverde to handle the juniors’ team.

The Fighting Maroons bared on Saturday that Perasol wrote a letter to UP President Atty. Angelo Jimenez, endorsing seniors’ basketball coach Monteverde to also handle the high school program.

“To ensure sustainability of the program, especially now that UP’s aspirations are high, is to have an integrated and well-coordinated basketball program from high school to college,” Perasol said.

“We want to recruit players from around the country that will excel not only in basketball but will also survive the rigors of UPIS academic demand. Those young players, with proper training program and exposure, will make sure our program in the UPMBT continues,” he added.

Monteverde ended the school’s 36-year title drought in his first season with the Fighting Maroons before settling for a silver medal in their second straight Finals as they fell to Ateneo Blue Eagles in Game 3 last December.

The UAAP Season 84 champion coach is no stranger to high school basketball as he steered the Nazareth School to back-to-back UAAP crowns and championships in the NBTC National Finals, PSSBC, MMBL, and Palarong Pambansa, and a gold in the2018 and 2019 ASEAN School Games.

Perasol, a former men’s basketball coach, assured in his letter that they will provide ample support to the UP Integrated School  from recruitment and screening, academic support and tutorials, strength and conditioning, skills training, team building, basketball data analytics, improvement of training facilities, among others.

“We hope to replicate our experience in the seniors’ program and elevate the juniors’ program to become more competitive and hopefully to be back in the final four and aim for championship,” Perasol said.

Monteverde also produced successful recruits like Carl Tamayo, Harold Alarcon, and Terrence Fortea as well as Kevin Quiambao, who is now with La Salle and won the top rookie award last season.

Perasol said incumbent UP juniors’ coach, Paolo Mendoza, “yearns for such change and supports the integration and the direction of UP’s basketball program in Diliman.”

Once Perasol’s recommendation gets approval from the UP administration, he said it would serve as a big boost for the continued success of the school’s basketball program both in high school and collegiate divisions.